Out in Film: Robert Gant

Thanks to his memorable role as everyone's dream husband Ben Bruckner on the landmark Queer as Folk, Robert Gant has become one of the most prominent -- and desirable -- out gay actors in Hollywood. Put it this way: He could have just as easily been profiled in the Cinematic Crush section here at Movie Dearest.

Gant actually started his professional life in Los Angeles as a lawyer, but show biz couldn't keep him away. He started with memorable guest spots on some of the gay friendliest shows on television, including Ellen, My So-Called Life, Melrose Place and Friends. (In the latter, he and fellow future QAF-er Matt Battaglia both vied for a fickle Phoebe's affections.)

A recurring role on Caroline in the City led to a permanent one on Popular as an eccentric school principal; all that law school must lend Gant a scholarly air, as he was next cast as Professor Bruckner in QAF's second season. Gant's Ben was linked romantically with Hal Sparks' Michael, and their characters faced such challenging storylines as Ben's HIV+ status, gay marriage and adoption.

In the "real world", Gant is an advocate for several gay elder groups, and has his own production company (with actor Chad Allen and producer Christopher Racster), which is dedicated to producing positive gay-themed projects in film and television. Their first feature, Save Me, was a hit at OutFest and should be hitting theaters soon.

After QAF ended, Gant has guest starred on such other TV series as The Closer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and he also starred as the title character in the hysterical satirical short, Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer (available to watch in full at Planet Out).

And speaking of videos, it sure is nice to know that I'm not the only one who has a thing for Bobby Gant.

See more pictures of Robert Gant in The Back Room (NSFW).

Out in Film: Cheyenne Jackson

Unless you follow the New York theater scene, you may not know Cheyenne Jackson, but you should. As you can see by his picture, the 6'3" actor is incredibly handsome, but he is also incredibly talented. And although his film work has been minimal so far, it is only a matter of time until he is as big a star in Hollywood as he is on Broadway.

Jackson (who was named "Cheyenne" after his father's favorite TV western) made his debut on the Great White Way in 2002 (just six weeks after arriving in the Big Apple) in the Tony Award-winning stage version of the movie musical Thoroughly Modern Millie. He later starred as Radames in Disney's Aida and originated the role of Matthew in Altar Boyz prior to that hit show's Off Broadway premiere. He had to give up that part though when he was cast in the "Elvis" role in All Shook Up, the popular Presley-inspired jukebox musical.

Jackson's film debut was in the short film Curiosity (which can be viewed in its entirety here), while his first feature was the controversial 9/11 drama United 93, where he played real-life gay hero Mark Bingham. He will next appear onscreen in the horror film Hysteria, due next year.

Presently, Jackson is wowing audiences in a pair of roller skates and short shorts in the unexpected Broadway hit Xanadu, and he was just cast in the upcoming Lifetime television series Family Practice.

To learn more about Cheyenne, visit his official website, and if you haven't seen Jackson perform, be sure to check out this duet with Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez, where they deliver an awesome rendition of the "Elephant Love Medley" from Moulin Rouge!

See more pictures of Cheyenne Jackson in The Back Room (NSFW).

Out in Film: Heather Matarazzo

"We were sitting in my pink room with pink carpeting. It was summer and we were sitting Indian-style across from each other, and I was so incredibly nervous. And I thought, "Yeah, I am definitely gay."

-- Heather Matarazzo, describing her first kiss with a girl.

One of the most auspicious film debuts in recent memory was that of the then eleven-year-old Heather Matarazzo as the outcast nerdette Dawn Wiener in Todd Solondz's Welcome to the Dollhouse. Since that film, Matarazzo has brought to the screen many memorably quirky characters, but she will always be remembered, for better or worse, as the "Wienerdog".

Splitting her time between movies and television, Matarazzo has co-starred on the short-lived series Townies and Now and Again and guest-starred on Roseanne and The L Word. On film, she gave a stand-out performance in The Devil's Advocate, and also appeared in 54, Scream 3, Sorority Boys and re-teamed with Solondz for his Storytelling, although her scenes were eventually cut (subsequently, she declined his offer to reprise her Dollhouse role in his Palindromes).

Matarazzo gained mainstream fame as Anne Hathaway's BFF in The Princess Diaries and its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. She then starred with her Diaries co-star Mandy Moore in the religious satire Saved! and her Roseanne co-star John Goodman in the college comedy Freshman Orientation (just now making its way into theaters).

Recently, Matarazzo starred in Eli Roth's gory Hostel: Part II and has appeared in several gay-centric documentaries, such as Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema, providing a younger gay person's point of view.

Links via Imbd.com and InsideSoCal.com.

Out in Film: Anthony Rapp

He is best known for his stage and screen performances as the passionate and loyal film director Mark Cohen in Jonathan Larson's seminal rock musical Rent, so it is no surprise that Anthony Rapp has found success in all three of his passions: theater, movies and music.

Rapp found his love of musicals at an early age, appearing in touring productions of Evita and The King and I. As a teenager, he made his film debut in Adventures in Babysitting, followed by supporting roles in School Ties, Dazed and Confused, Twister and (recreating his Broadway role) Six Degrees of Separation.

In 1994, Rapp began his involvement with the project that would change his life: Rent. Following its acclaimed Off-Broadway debut, the show took Broadway by storm, winning every award in sight and catapulting its cast to stardom. In addition to the 2005 movie version, Rapp also played Mark in the London production and recently returned to the Great White Way for a sold-out run.

Rapp starred as the title character in David Searching, a gay coming of age drama, and also co-starred in the films Road Trip and A Beautiful Mind. In addition to his acting, Rapp wrote a bestselling book entitled Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rent, and recorded his own solo CD, Look Around.

For a recent interview with Rapp, visit QueerSighted.com.

Click here to purchase Rapp's book, Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical Rentfrom Amazon.com.

Links via Imdb.com and QueerSighted.com.

Out in Film: John Barrowman

A huge star in the United Kingdom, John Barrowman is fast becoming one to watch on this side of the pond as well.

A consummate triple threat, Barrowman began his stage career opposite none other then Elaine Paige in Cole Porter's Anything Goes. Leading roles followed in such West End hits as Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard (with Betty Buckley and, later, Paige again). He would later reprise his Joe Gillis on Broadway, where he also starred in the Stephen Sondheim review Putting It Together with Carol Burnett.

A fixture on the "telly" in Britain, Barrowman appeared on American screens in the short-lived prime time soaps Central Park West and Titans. On film, he has had memorable musical roles in De-Lovely and The Producers.

But it is his role as the sexy, outspoken Captain Jack Harkness on the BBC's Doctor Who reboot that has truly made him a star. The bisexual space adventurer proved so popular that a successful spin-off series, Torchwood, was soon launched (don't worry; the series will make its way to US DVD early next year).

Considering all the movie musicals in the works of late, somebody needs to snatch up Barrowman for a major role to show America what England has known all along: this guy has got it.

Links via Imdb.com and TVShowsOnDVD.com.

Out in Film: James Ivory & Ismail Merchant

Academy Award nominees both, director James Ivory and producer Ismail Merchant began their personal and professional relationship in the 1960's. Through their company, Merchant Ivory Productions, they turned out an impressive string of mostly literary-based period pieces that earned critical and popular acclaim until Merchant's death in 2005.

Early art house success came with Shakespeare-Wallah and The Wild Party, followed by mainstream fame with the surprise hit, A Room With a View. That film's lush scenery, gentile acting and focus on the British class system messing up people's lives became the formula for a Merchant Ivory film (much to the dismay of naysayers), resulting in Oscars and more of the same with Howards End and The Remains of the Day.

Gay themes crept into their work as well, such as Vanessa Redgrave's staunch suffragette in The Bostonians and, most memorably, the achingly romantic Maurice, based on the posthumously published E.M. Forster novel.

As part of their "Great To Be Nominated" series, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen Howards End in 70 mm this Monday at their Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Ivory will be on hand afterwards for a discussion of the film. Visit the Academy's website for more information.

And yes, I did say Howards End in 70 mm. That joke never gets old.

Links via Imdb.com and Oscars.org.

Out in Film: Ellen DeGeneres

"Yep, I'm gay." With those three little words, the life of Ellen DeGeneres changed forever. And they changed our lives too.

Not for nothing is there a whole website named "After Ellen", for it truly was after Ellen that so much has changed in the world for gays and lesbians, particularly concerning their representation in the media (especially television). Granted, this progress may not have occurred directly because of Ellen, but she certainly opened a lot of doors ... and minds.

Television is Ellen's first love, as is so obvious by the enthusiasm she displays on her multi-award winning talk show that followed her groundbreaking sitcom. And sure, most of her film work (Mr. Wrong, EdTV) is forgettable.

But two roles in particular have endeared her to movie fans. First, her role of a lifetime as Dory the forgetful fish in Finding Nemo is, well, unforgettable, one of the finest vocal characterizations ever. And second, her recent hosting gig for the Academy Awards, her own personal role of a lifetime.

Links via Imdb.com and AfterEllen.com.

Out in Film: Ian McKellen

I am not aware of what exactly was going through the mind of Ian McKellen when he publicly came out in 1988, but I am fairly certain he did not think he would be as big a star as he is now, almost twenty-years later.

Following his acclaimed role as gay Frankenstein director James Whale in Gods and Monsters (landing him his first Oscar nomination, the first out gay actor nominated for playing a gay character), McKellen went on to star in two of the most successful trilogies in movie history, The Lord of the Rings and X-Men. In these two fantasy franchises, McKellen displayed his inarguable range, playing the noble, heroic wizard Gandalf (his second Oscar nomination) in the former, the cold-blooded, calculating evil mutant Magneto in the latter.

Prior to those heights, McKellen turned in compelling lead performances in Richard III and Apt Pupil, as well as memorable character parts in Six Degrees of Separation and Bent. With magic and mutants behind him now, he has recently appeared in The Da Vinci Code and won an Annie Award for his droll toad in the animated Flushed Away. He will next be 'heard' again as the narrator of Stardust and seen onstage as King Lear.

Knighted in 1990, Sir Ian McKellen is also very active in gay rights issues and continues to be an inspiration both on and off screen.

Link via Imdb.com.

Out in Film: Farley Granger

One of my goals with the "Out in Film" feature is to spotlight actors, actresses and other filmmakers who many may not know are gay. Such was the case, for me at least, with Farley Granger (I must have missed the memo from headquarters).

The classically handsome Granger, one of the last contract players at Goldwyn, starred in the pseudo-queer Hitchcock classics Rope (opposite John Dall) and Strangers on a Train (co-starring Robert Walker). Naturally, Granger was closeted at the time, although he was involved with "aggressively out" Rope screenwriter Arthur Laurents. Other notable films in Granger's filmography from this time include They Live By Night, O. Henry's Full House and Hans Christian Andersen with Danny Kaye.

After his Hollywood hay days, Granger turned to television and Broadway (starring in Deathtrap), traveling to Italy to star in his personal favorite film, Senso, directed by Luchino Visconti. His last onscreen role was in 2001's The Next Big Thing.

Granger, recently honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, currently lives in New York with his longtime partner, Robert Calhoun. The two collaborated on Granger's memoir, "Include Me Out: My Life from Goldwyn to Broadway".

Click here to purchase Farley Granger's autobiographyfrom Amazon.com.

Out in Film: Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman

To conclude the weeklong countdown to the premiere of the musical version of John Waters' Hairspray (in theaters now!), today's "Out in Film" shines the spotlight on the film's songwriting team.

Collaborating in life as well as in work, partners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman created all the toe-tappin' songs heard in the new Hairspray, and they have the Tony Awards to prove it.

Previously, the duo provided songs for such films as Down With Love and Addams Family Values, and they are currently working on a stage musical adaptation of Steven Spielberg's crime caper Catch Me If You Can.

Shaiman is also a prolific composer, receiving Oscar nominations for his scores to The American President, The First Wives Club and Patch Adams, as well as nods for co-writing songs from Sleepless in Seattle and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. He is also known for crafting those parody songs for Billy Crystal's Oscar appearances.

For two recent interviews with Shaiman, check out Broadway.com and Playbill.com.

Links via Imdb.com, Playbill.com and Broadway.com.

Out in Film: An Introduction

X-Men's Bryan Singer and Ian McKellen

Spotlights of our fellow gay men and women who awe us with their talent (both onscreen and behind-the-scenes) and inspire us with their openness. (Posts every Friday.)

Link via Imdb.com.